The Kahleys guest room

This bedroom had just been transitioned from a nursery and the guest bed and bedding were stuck in there awaiting a re-do.  Here I come!

Guest Room Before

and after...

I wanted to do an eclectic mix of things.  Old and new, a little modern and a little traditional.  I found this beautiful rich brown floral duvet with a burlap trim and a reddish spice satiny quilt to dress the bed with.  I added a pillow made out of paper, which is really cool.  Burlap like panels dress the window.  Antique prints advertising sewing patterns for beautiful women's dresses are framed above the bed and a great hutch that will eventually house the flat screen hangs on the opposite wall.  On the bed-side tables are sitting the two most GORGEOUS tortoise glass lamps with the great black shades on them.

 a beautiful blue capiz bowl hangs above the towel bar.

Selah Center

Reception area BEFORE

This Doctor took over this practice from a doctor that was retiring.  They needed some major updating!!  We took out the window and closed in the wall and also the ledge above the doorway.  Everything actually looks so much warmer in person,  truly, it does!  I thought the walls needed some texture to them so we chose a very beautiful textured paper with beautiful bamboo leaves in warm brown tones.  We added some comfy furniture and great lamps.  The hallway has a water fountain that hangs on the wall.  The office incorporated colors and elements inspired by nature.

Reception Area AFTER

Reception Area BEFORE
I commissioned a painting of birds that references Luke 14.  I love how it turned out.  The artist did a great job and is a pastor at our church.  He is awesome!

Reception Area AFTER

Conference Room BEFORE

The conference room had THE MOST AWFUL FURNITURE in it!!  and truly that is being nice :o)  I found a great table and six beautiful parsons chairs on casters and slip-covered in them a great espresso brown.

Conference Room AFTER

The Engelsons Redecorating

This is Clay's sister's apartment in NYC.  It is such a cute home!  It is getting a little crowded with baby j in the "nursery nook" (which once was home to the kitchen table!)  So fun!  I am ready Dave's friend!  You too can have this adorable and welcoming home!

 Kitchen BEFORE

Kitchen AFTER

Bedroom BEFORE

Bedroom AFTER

Living room BEFORE

Living Room AFTER

Living Room BEFORE

Living Room AFTER

the hewletts

here are some pictures that I did from the hewlett's bedroom and bath...

BEFORE

AFTER

Solidarity With The Poor

This was taken from a blog that I read....   take your vitamin Z

"Like nothing else could ever do, the gospel instills in me a heart for the downcast, the poverty-stricken, and those in need of physical mercies, especially when such persons are of the household of faith.

When I see persons who are materially poor, I instantly feel a kinship with them, for they are physically what I was spiritually when my heart was closed to Christ. Perhaps some of them are in their condition because of sin, but so was I. Perhaps they are unkind when I try to help them; but I, too, have been spiteful to God when He has sought to help me. Perhaps they are thankless and even abuse the kindness I show them, but how many times have I been thankless and used what God has given me to serve selfish ends?

Perhaps a poverty-stricken person will be blessed and changed as a result of some kindness I show him. If so, God be praised for His grace through me. But if the person walks away unchanged by my kindness, then I still rejoice over the opportunity to love as God loves. Perhaps the person will repent in time; but for now, my heart is chastened and made wiser by the tangible depiction of what I myself have done to God on numerous occasions.

The gospel reminds me daily of the spiritual poverty into which I was born and also of the staggering generosity of Christ towards me. Such reminders instill in me both a felt connection to the poor and a desire to show them the same generosity that has been lavished on me. When ministering to the poor with these motivations, I not only preach the gospel to them through word and deed, but I reenact the gospel to my own benefit as well."

- Milton Vincent, A Gospel Primer for Christians

there are no words...

I went to the bathroom and smelled something AWFUL!

I thought she must still be asleep because she wasn't making any noise,

but I thought I'd better check...

It was the most shocking moment of my motherhood life, maybe my whole life.... I could not believe the amount of poop covering her body.  She was not crying.  She was snuggling with her gigi and sucking on her passy, both which were covered in poop!  She even kept smiling at me, a little smile... like, "I'm sorry mom, have I done something wrong?"

There was a clean white circle of skin around her mouth once I took the passy out.  Everything in her bed, including the bed itself was covered in poop.  BUT, the diaper was spotless, clean and tucked in the corner of the bed as if she wanted to make sure it stayed 'poop free'.

It took three baths, many loads of laundry and bleach to make all this nastiness go away!  I seriously thought about throwing the baby out with the bath water.  I also thought, "should I spray lysol on her or febreze her?"  

I decided against both.

Pictures courtesy of my dear friend barb who saw first-hand what words could not describe and what pictures could not fully capture!